Mo. governor vows change in Ferguson police response

FLORISSANT, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said today that unspecified "operational shifts" are ahead for law enforcement in the St. Louis suburb that has been the scene of violent protests since a police officer fatally shot an unarmed black teenager.

Speaking at a meeting of clergy and community members, the governor told the audience that "you all will see a different tone" in law enforcement's response to the demonstrations in the town of Ferguson.

Nixon did not elaborate on the changes ahead, but they are likely to be explained at a news conference planned for later in the day.

In his first in-person remarks about the tense standoff, President Barack Obama appealed for "peace and calm" on the streets.

"I know emotions are raw right now in Ferguson, and there are certainly passionate differences about what has happened," Obama said. "But let's remember that we're all part of one American family. We are united in common values and that includes the belief in equality under the law, respect for public order and the right to peaceful public protests."

Obama, speaking from the Massachusetts island where he's on a two-week vacation, said there was no excuse for excessive force by police in the aftermath of Saturday's shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. He said he had asked the Justice Department and FBI to investigate the incident.